(693a) Graphene Oxide Composites

Graphene has emerged as a subject of enormous scientific interest due to its exceptional electron transport, mechanical properties and high surface area. When incorporated appropriately, these atomically thin carbon sheets can significantly improve physical properties of host polymers at extremely small loading. We have made graphene by thermal reduction from graphite oxide and incorporated it into several polymers by both solvent- and melt-based strategies. We characterize dispersion of the graphene by TEM, melt rheology and conductivity percolation as well as measure electrical, thermal, mechanical and gas barrier properties of the graphene/polymer nanocomposites. We will discuss current challenges associated with processing and scalability of graphene composites, and future perspectives for this new class of nanocomposites.